Taking care of yourself may be the most important thing that you can do for your family. This message, and on prevention and early detection guidelines for cancer, is the central point of "Mi Vida", a new American Cancer Society bi-lingual awareness campaign that is reaching out to Texas Hispanics."We know how to prevent some cancers, and how to detect others at an early stage when the survival rates are as high as 90%," stated Keith Mirrer, Communications Chair of the American Cancer Society's Texas Division. "The American Cancer Society can help in many ways, including providing information and resources in Spanish, as well as English."The American Cancer Society now has Cancer Information Specialists that answer phone calls 24x7 at the organization's National Cancer Information Center -- 1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345). In addition, cancer prevention and early detection information in Spanish is available on the American Cancer Society web site at www.cancer.org ."The "Mi Vida" campaign consists of both Spanish and English language radio and television PSA's and print ads for newspapers and magazines," remarked Adolfo Aguilar, Jr, President and CEO of Creative Civilization, a San Antonio-based advertising firm that specializes in communications to Hispanic audiences. "We got involved in this campaign to help the American Cancer Society communicate that the early detection of cancer is critical and it can save thousands of lives."   

 Prevent DiabetesResearch studies have found that moderate weight loss and exercise can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes among adults at high-risk of diabetes. Find out more about the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, what it means to have prediabetes, and what you can do to prevent or delay diabetes. See also EAT RIGHT and BE ACTIVE.  

 The Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pleased to release the first programmatic summary report of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). The NBCCEDP helps low-income, uninsured, and underserved women gain access to potentially lifesaving screening programs for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer. In 2004, an estimated 215,990 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 10,520 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, and about 44,010 women will die of these diseases combined.1 Many of these deaths could be avoided by increasing the cancer screening rates among women at risk. The  U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations state that timely mammography screening among women aged 40 years or older could prevent a significant number of all deaths from breast cancer.2 Papanicolaou (Pap) tests can detect cervical cancer at an early stage when it is most curable, and can prevent the disease altogether when precancerous lesions are found during the test and are treated in a timely manner.  Despite the availability of screening tests, deaths from breast and cervical cancer occur more frequently among women who are uninsured or under-insured. Mammography and Pap tests are underused by women who have less than a high school education, are older, live below the poverty level, or are members of certain racial and ethnic minority groups.3 To help improve access to breast and cervical cancer screening among these at-risk populations in the United States, Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990, which created the NBCCEDP. The program, funded at $30 million in fiscal year (FY) 1991, eventually grew to a nationwide program that received over $192 million in FY 2002. During this time, 1,175,759 women received 2,038,118 mammograms, and 1,329,523 women received 2,305,936 Pap tests through the NBCCEDP.  The intent of this report is to summarize the first 12 years of the NBCCEDP, from 1991 through 2002. Information on the program’s framework and history are given in addition to data on breast and cervical cancer screening results and outcomes for women served through the program. This report provides a basis for researchers to develop research questions that can be answered with more specific and advanced analyses using both the national and program-specific data. Individual programs can use these data to help guide activities to improve program management, evaluation, data management, and outreach activities.  The NBCCEDP’s comprehensive approach to breast and cervical cancer control ensures that not only medically underserved women benefit from this early detection effort, but that all women gain from the educational activities, public and private partnerships, and quality assurance standards implemented in our funded programs. At the state and community level, the development of early detection programs has resulted in a new organizational capacity and infrastructure for cancer control, increased staff resources and expertise, enabled multiple collaborative partnerships in the private and public sectors, built state and community coalitions, and promoted a greater understanding of the challenges in delivering preventive health services to women who are medically underserved. By presenting this report, the NBCCEDP hopes to demonstrate the continued momentum and commitment of federal and state governments to comprehensive screening programs that work to close the gap in health disparities, improve early detection rates, and reduce the illness and death from all cancers. 

 Healthy eating patterns in childhood and adolescence promote optimal childhoodhealth, growth, and intellectual development; prevent immediate health problems, such as iron deficiency anemia, obesity, eating disorders, and dental caries; and may prevent long-term health problems, such as coronary heart disease, cancer, and stroke. School health programs can help children and adolescents attain full educational potential and good health by providing them with the skills, social support, and environmental reinforcement they need to adopt long-term, healthy eating behaviors. This report summarizes strategies most likely to be effective in promoting healthy eating among school-age youths and provides nutrition education guidelines for a comprehensive school health program. These guidelines are based on a review of research, theory, and current practice, and they were developed by CDC in collaboration with experts from universities and from national, federal, and voluntary agencies. The guidelines include recommendations on seven aspects of a school-based program to promote healthy eating: school policy on nutrition, a sequential, coordinated curriculum, appropriate instruction for students, integration of school food service and nutrition education, staff training, family and community involvement, and program evaluation.

   Describe the Chicago Southeast Diabetes Community Action Coalition (CSDCAC) as a model of integrated community health approaches  

 Why is it important to find prostate cancer early?Prostate Cancer: Early DetectionWhy is it important to find prostate cancer early?The word screening refers to testing to find a disease like cancer in people who do not have symptoms of that disease. For some types of cancer, screening can help find cancers in an early stage when they are more easily cured. The goal of screening is to help people live healthier, longer lives.The goal of screening for prostate cancer is to find it early, in the hope that it can be treated more effectively.Prostate cancer can often be found early by testing the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. Another way to find prostate cancer early is the digital rectal exam (DRE). For this exam, your doctor puts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate gland. These 2 tests are described below in more detail.If prostate cancer is found during screening with the PSA test or DRE, your cancer will likely be at an early, more treatable stage than if no screening were done.Since using early detection tests for prostate cancer became relatively common (about 1990), the prostate cancer death rate has dropped. But it isn't clear yet that this drop is a direct result of screening. It could also be caused by something else, like improvements in treatment.  

 What is cancer?The body is made up of hundreds of millions of living cells. Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person's life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries. Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There are many kinds of cancer, but they all start because of out-of-control growth of abnormal cells. Cancer cell growth is different from normal cell growth. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new, abnormal cells. Cancer cells can also invade (grow into) other tissues, something that normal cells cannot do. Growing out of control and invading other tissues are what makes a cell a cancer cell.

 While recent research has shown that racial disparity in cancer death rates is decreasing, minority groups continue to bear a greater cancer burden than whites. For many cancer types, racial and ethnic minorities are far more likely than whites to die from cancer and be diagnosed in advanced stages of disease, when the cancer is less treatable.The reasons are complex, researchers say.Social factors, differences in income and education, racial bias, and environmental deterrents all play a role. However, there are things you can do every day to help reduce your cancer risk or improve your chances of beating the disease if you do get it.  

 Infection is what happens when germs (also called microbes or microorganisms) enter the body, multiply, and cause illness. The main types of germs are bacteria, viruses, protozoa (parasites), and fungal organisms (also called fungi).Infections in people who have cancer or are getting cancer treatment can be more serious than those in other people. They can also be harder to treat. If you have cancer, it is important to find infections early and treat them quickly -- before they get worse and spread.The good news is that by learning more about them, you and your family may be able to help prevent problems that infections can cause.